Explaining the Foundations of Organizational Citizenship Behavior Based on the Conduct of Amir al-Mu’minin, Peace Be upon Him, in Nahj al-Balagha: Presenting a Conceptual Model Using Thematic Analysis
Keywords:
Content analysis, organizational citizenship behavior, Nahj al-BalaghaAbstract
This study aimed to identify and explain the foundations of organizational citizenship behavior based on the conduct of Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, in Nahj al-Balagha and to present an indigenous Islamic conceptual model. This qualitative study was conducted within an interpretivist paradigm using thematic analysis. The research data consisted of the text of Nahj al-Balagha, including sermons, letters, and aphorisms, examined through Mohammad Dashti’s translation, Subhi al-Salih’s edition, and the commentary Payam-e Imam Amir al-Mu’minin. Meaning units related to extra-role behaviors, responsibility, social cooperation, altruism, self-control, and ethical commitment were identified and coded using MAXQDA 2020. To enhance trustworthiness, continuous textual review, expert judgment, thick description, direct reference to data, and audit trail documentation were employed. The thematic analysis indicated that, after refining 624 initial codes, 547 final codes were extracted and categorized into 22 basic themes, 8 organizing themes, and 3 global themes. The global themes consisted of motivational, belief-based, and ethical dimensions. The motivational dimension comprised perseverance and hopefulness, as well as opportunity recognition. The belief-based dimension included eschatological orientation, action based on religious values, and spirituality and God-centeredness. The ethical dimension consisted of sincerity and honesty, social ethics and cooperation, and self-control. The extracted model demonstrates that organizational citizenship behavior in Nahj al-Balagha is not merely an organization-centered behavior, but a value-oriented and human-centered phenomenon formed through the integration of motivation, religious belief, and practical ethics. This model can provide a theoretical basis for developing indigenous organizational behavior frameworks in Islamic-Iranian contexts.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Heydar Hadizadeh (Author); Mohammad Jalalkamali (Corresponding author); Yaser Salari, Shiva Madahian, Mahdi MohammadBagheri (Author)

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